I was born into a large family in the early 90s. Back then no one had cell phones or personal computers. Well at least not in my small country town. By the time I was 2 and a half I was allowed to play outside with my sisters with no adult supervision. I ate mud pies, bugs, worms, glue a few times, tried finger paint, and ate berries straight off the bush. Not once was my parents concerned, and I survived.

As a child I spent my summer days from 7AM sharp till dusk outside, every day. I once climbed a 13 foot tree and managed to get all the way to the top where I lost balance and fell. I skinned both elbows, bruised my knees up, and ripped my K-Mart brand blue jeans before I caught a hold of a branch with just 4 feet remaining below. And I survived.

I got stung 11 times by a couple of bees I encountered when I was 8, after playing down in the woods with a my own personal BB Gun. My mom told my grandpa to let me have some tobacco juice to put on it. And I survived.

Every evening at dusk we knew it was time to go in to eat supper. We would eat with our daddy's and mothers around the table, and say grace before eating of course. Fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, taters and gravy, green beans, Salmon Patties, and fried Pork Chops were a variety of such we would eat. And none of us were overweight! Now if we didn't like what we was served we didn't eat. But you dared not move from that table until every one was done. And I survived.

Every Halloween we would all dress up and go knocking on the neighbors door by ourselves. We were never worried about Child Molesters or Rapist or Kid nappers. And I survived.

Each Christmas my mother would teach us how to make homemade ornaments and cookies from scratch.
As girls we were taught how to bake and cook by age 7. Because the best way to a mans heart is through his stomach. I used to lick the cake batter off the mixing spoon and never got salmonella. And I survived.

Each Sunday morning we would dress in our best and off to church we went. No excuses, no one complained or back talked and if they did a good ole whooping would take care of that! None of us threatened to yell Child Abuse. Sometimes my daddy would tell me to go pick me out a hickory and I knew I was in trouble! And I survived.

I would go outside in the middle of July in my shorts and bathing suit all day and never wore sunscreen. If I got thirsty I would walk myself to the side of the house where I would take a sip straight from the garden hose! And I survived.